Re: Physicists attack cosmological model

2004-02-08 Thread John M
I just received this week's Economist and found in its Science
chapter a very informative (moderately scientific) description
with the topic I touched.  FYI

John M
- Original Message -
From: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Stephen Paul King [EMAIL PROTECTED]; CMR
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


 Dear Stephen,

 thanks for the considerate reply and the basic consent. The facts you
 mentioned are indeed well known and at their onset I was also enthused
 (I am old enough for that) when I rethought all the gravitational
 discrepancies (galaxies would fall apart etc.) at that time.
 That was then, I was a complacent 'reductionist hero' in my field.
 All considerations you mention are WITHIN the reductionist model of
 cosmology now still reigning - including the linear retrogradicity for the
 Big Bang calculations vs a chaotic upscale evolution (as shown in  some
 instances ) just to mention one.

 It is hard to find proper predictions without knowing all circumstances.
 I cannot believe that those desultory snapshots of the cosmos allow a
 comprehensive knowledge of what is (was? will?) going on. Especially
 not, if the starting condition is This is it, we know it all. And with
 imaginary (imaginative?) explanations based on concepts from a level
 with much less observational input than we think we have today. I am
 convinced that on strictly observational basis we cannot see clearly, (no
 matter how much and how sophisticated calculations have been done),
 since I am not sure whether we have observational access to everything
that
 influences our existence. I am not talking about supernatural, just things
 existing beyond the circle of (instrumental?) observability at the present
 level of physical sciences. Some such features are showing in animals,
 (migrational capabilities etc.) and who knows how much in the cosmos. Even
 our own body is 'full of surprises', from the immunity topics to
 epidemiology, not to mention the brainfunctions (which most of us has).

 Best regards

 John

 - Original Message -
 From: Stephen Paul King [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 To: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]; CMR [EMAIL PROTECTED];
 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 12:04 PM
 Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


  Dear John,
 
  It is instructive to look at the reasons why all this phantom
  matter/energy was postulated to exist in the first place! IIRC, it
started
  when it was noticed that the radial (?) momentum distribution of
galaxies
  did not follow the predictions of a gravity only model.
  Alternatives using plasma physics have been proposed but have
received
  little serious attention even though they predict distributions that fit
  very well and do not require strange forms of matter. The con against
them
  is that they require the existence of magnetic fields at all
cosmological
  scales and an acknowledgement that all that glowing stuff out there is
  electrically charged - not neutral as the gravitational models require.
  From my own point of view, the predilection for gravity and fancy
  particle based models is more of a political phenomenon than an attempt
to
  find a better predictive model. A lot of academic tenure is tied up in
  gravity based models.
 
  Kindest regards,
 
  Stephen
 
  - Original Message -
  From: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  To: CMR [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 10:24 AM
  Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model
 
 
   Just one question and one remark.
   Q:
   ...a group of astrophysicists in the UK has found that this
 radiation -
   the microwave 'echo' of the big bang - may in fact have been
modified
  or
   `corrupted' as it passed through galaxy clusters on its way to
  Earth
   Where from?
   (and please, spare the Euclidean geometry in explaining cosmology)
  
   Rem.:
   the universe is dominated by cold 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' -
a
   view that has been confirmed by recent
  measurements on the cosmic background radiation.
   (At least assigned to it and believed so, supported by zillions of
 theory
   laden measurements and mathematical congruences).
   I assign those 'discrepancies' which led to the 'dark' content to our
   lack of omniscience: our 'not-omni' assigns ALL to the so far
discovered
   cognitive inventory - and it is not enough. I like the 'dark', not
 because
   of its physical meaning as non-radiant, but because understanding it
 will
   require more 'enlightenment' in the topics of the wholeness.
   Cosmo-physicists don't like to confess to ignorance in explaining
data.
   If the darkness is 'dominant', then so is our ignorance. We know
little.
  
   Concerning the quote in the question:
   if radiation could be 'corrupted', changed, by passing features in the
   cosmos

Re: Physicists attack cosmological model

2004-02-08 Thread Stephen Paul King
Dear John and Friends,

An online version of the Economist article can be found here:

http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2404626

Stephen

- Original Message - 
From: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Stephen Paul King [EMAIL PROTECTED]; CMR
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


 I just received this week's Economist and found in its Science
 chapter a very informative (moderately scientific) description
 with the topic I touched.  FYI

 John M
 - Original Message -
 From: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 To: Stephen Paul King [EMAIL PROTECTED]; CMR
 [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 4:20 PM
 Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


  Dear Stephen,
 
  thanks for the considerate reply and the basic consent. The facts you
  mentioned are indeed well known and at their onset I was also enthused
  (I am old enough for that) when I rethought all the gravitational
  discrepancies (galaxies would fall apart etc.) at that time.
  That was then, I was a complacent 'reductionist hero' in my field.
  All considerations you mention are WITHIN the reductionist model of
  cosmology now still reigning - including the linear retrogradicity for
the
  Big Bang calculations vs a chaotic upscale evolution (as shown in  some
  instances ) just to mention one.
 
  It is hard to find proper predictions without knowing all circumstances.
  I cannot believe that those desultory snapshots of the cosmos allow a
  comprehensive knowledge of what is (was? will?) going on. Especially
  not, if the starting condition is This is it, we know it all. And with
  imaginary (imaginative?) explanations based on concepts from a level
  with much less observational input than we think we have today. I am
  convinced that on strictly observational basis we cannot see clearly,
(no
  matter how much and how sophisticated calculations have been done),
  since I am not sure whether we have observational access to everything
 that
  influences our existence. I am not talking about supernatural, just
things
  existing beyond the circle of (instrumental?) observability at the
present
  level of physical sciences. Some such features are showing in animals,
  (migrational capabilities etc.) and who knows how much in the cosmos.
Even
  our own body is 'full of surprises', from the immunity topics to
  epidemiology, not to mention the brainfunctions (which most of us has).
 
  Best regards
 
  John
 
snip




Re: Physicists attack cosmological model

2004-02-07 Thread John M
Just one question and one remark.
Q:
...a group of astrophysicists in the UK has found that this radiation -
the microwave 'echo' of the big bang - may in fact have been modified or
`corrupted' as it passed through galaxy clusters on its way to Earth
Where from?
(and please, spare the Euclidean geometry in explaining cosmology)

Rem.:
the universe is dominated by cold 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' - a
view that has been confirmed by recent
   measurements on the cosmic background radiation.
(At least assigned to it and believed so, supported by zillions of theory
laden measurements and mathematical congruences).
I assign those 'discrepancies' which led to the 'dark' content to our
lack of omniscience: our 'not-omni' assigns ALL to the so far discovered
cognitive inventory - and it is not enough. I like the 'dark', not because
of its physical meaning as non-radiant, but because understanding it will
require more 'enlightenment' in the topics of the wholeness.
Cosmo-physicists don't like to confess to ignorance in explaining data.
If the darkness is 'dominant', then so is our ignorance. We know little.

Concerning the quote in the question:
if radiation could be 'corrupted', changed, by passing features in the
cosmos, a similar phenomenon could be assigned to the redshift as well and
we can start re-thinking the science of our expanding universe.
But what can be done with so many calculations, dissertations, awards,
(incl. Nobels), theories and tenures - all based (and successfully included)
in all of these? Not to speak about the 2-3 generations of so brainwashed
scientists who imbibed all that with the nursing milk of their Alma Mater.

John Mikes

- Original Message -
From: CMR [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 12:25 AM
Subject: Physicists attack cosmological model


  -
-
 
  News
 
Physicists attack cosmological model (Feb 6)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/8/2/4
 Many astronomers believe that the universe is dominated by cold 'dark
 matter' and 'dark energy' - a view that has been confirmed by recent
 measurements on the cosmic background radiation. Now, however, a
group
 of astrophysicists in the UK has found that this radiation - the
 microwave 'echo' of the big bang - may in fact have been modified or
 `corrupted' as it passed through galaxy clusters on its way to Earth.
 The result could undermine previous evidence for both dark matter and
 energy (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 347 L67;
 arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306180)
 




Re: Physicists attack cosmological model

2004-02-07 Thread Stephen Paul King
Dear John,

It is instructive to look at the reasons why all this phantom
matter/energy was postulated to exist in the first place! IIRC, it started
when it was noticed that the radial (?) momentum distribution of galaxies
did not follow the predictions of a gravity only model.
Alternatives using plasma physics have been proposed but have received
little serious attention even though they predict distributions that fit
very well and do not require strange forms of matter. The con against them
is that they require the existence of magnetic fields at all cosmological
scales and an acknowledgement that all that glowing stuff out there is
electrically charged - not neutral as the gravitational models require.
From my own point of view, the predilection for gravity and fancy
particle based models is more of a political phenomenon than an attempt to
find a better predictive model. A lot of academic tenure is tied up in
gravity based models.

Kindest regards,

Stephen

- Original Message - 
From: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: CMR [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


 Just one question and one remark.
 Q:
 ...a group of astrophysicists in the UK has found that this radiation -
 the microwave 'echo' of the big bang - may in fact have been modified
or
 `corrupted' as it passed through galaxy clusters on its way to
Earth
 Where from?
 (and please, spare the Euclidean geometry in explaining cosmology)

 Rem.:
 the universe is dominated by cold 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' - a
 view that has been confirmed by recent
measurements on the cosmic background radiation.
 (At least assigned to it and believed so, supported by zillions of theory
 laden measurements and mathematical congruences).
 I assign those 'discrepancies' which led to the 'dark' content to our
 lack of omniscience: our 'not-omni' assigns ALL to the so far discovered
 cognitive inventory - and it is not enough. I like the 'dark', not because
 of its physical meaning as non-radiant, but because understanding it will
 require more 'enlightenment' in the topics of the wholeness.
 Cosmo-physicists don't like to confess to ignorance in explaining data.
 If the darkness is 'dominant', then so is our ignorance. We know little.

 Concerning the quote in the question:
 if radiation could be 'corrupted', changed, by passing features in the
 cosmos, a similar phenomenon could be assigned to the redshift as well and
 we can start re-thinking the science of our expanding universe.
 But what can be done with so many calculations, dissertations, awards,
 (incl. Nobels), theories and tenures - all based (and successfully
included)
 in all of these? Not to speak about the 2-3 generations of so brainwashed
 scientists who imbibed all that with the nursing milk of their Alma Mater.

 John Mikes

snip




Re: Physicists attack cosmological model

2004-02-07 Thread John M
Dear Stephen,

thanks for the considerate reply and the basic consent. The facts you
mentioned are indeed well known and at their onset I was also enthused
(I am old enough for that) when I rethought all the gravitational
discrepancies (galaxies would fall apart etc.) at that time.
That was then, I was a complacent 'reductionist hero' in my field.
All considerations you mention are WITHIN the reductionist model of
cosmology now still reigning - including the linear retrogradicity for the
Big Bang calculations vs a chaotic upscale evolution (as shown in  some
instances ) just to mention one.

It is hard to find proper predictions without knowing all circumstances.
I cannot believe that those desultory snapshots of the cosmos allow a
comprehensive knowledge of what is (was? will?) going on. Especially
not, if the starting condition is This is it, we know it all. And with
imaginary (imaginative?) explanations based on concepts from a level
with much less observational input than we think we have today. I am
convinced that on strictly observational basis we cannot see clearly, (no
matter how much and how sophisticated calculations have been done),
since I am not sure whether we have observational access to everything that
influences our existence. I am not talking about supernatural, just things
existing beyond the circle of (instrumental?) observability at the present
level of physical sciences. Some such features are showing in animals,
(migrational capabilities etc.) and who knows how much in the cosmos. Even
our own body is 'full of surprises', from the immunity topics to
epidemiology, not to mention the brainfunctions (which most of us has).

Best regards

John

- Original Message -
From: Stephen Paul King [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]; CMR [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


 Dear John,

 It is instructive to look at the reasons why all this phantom
 matter/energy was postulated to exist in the first place! IIRC, it started
 when it was noticed that the radial (?) momentum distribution of galaxies
 did not follow the predictions of a gravity only model.
 Alternatives using plasma physics have been proposed but have received
 little serious attention even though they predict distributions that fit
 very well and do not require strange forms of matter. The con against them
 is that they require the existence of magnetic fields at all cosmological
 scales and an acknowledgement that all that glowing stuff out there is
 electrically charged - not neutral as the gravitational models require.
 From my own point of view, the predilection for gravity and fancy
 particle based models is more of a political phenomenon than an attempt to
 find a better predictive model. A lot of academic tenure is tied up in
 gravity based models.

 Kindest regards,

 Stephen

 - Original Message -
 From: John M [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 To: CMR [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 10:24 AM
 Subject: Re: Physicists attack cosmological model


  Just one question and one remark.
  Q:
  ...a group of astrophysicists in the UK has found that this
radiation -
  the microwave 'echo' of the big bang - may in fact have been modified
 or
  `corrupted' as it passed through galaxy clusters on its way to
 Earth
  Where from?
  (and please, spare the Euclidean geometry in explaining cosmology)
 
  Rem.:
  the universe is dominated by cold 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' - a
  view that has been confirmed by recent
 measurements on the cosmic background radiation.
  (At least assigned to it and believed so, supported by zillions of
theory
  laden measurements and mathematical congruences).
  I assign those 'discrepancies' which led to the 'dark' content to our
  lack of omniscience: our 'not-omni' assigns ALL to the so far discovered
  cognitive inventory - and it is not enough. I like the 'dark', not
because
  of its physical meaning as non-radiant, but because understanding it
will
  require more 'enlightenment' in the topics of the wholeness.
  Cosmo-physicists don't like to confess to ignorance in explaining data.
  If the darkness is 'dominant', then so is our ignorance. We know little.
 
  Concerning the quote in the question:
  if radiation could be 'corrupted', changed, by passing features in the
  cosmos, a similar phenomenon could be assigned to the redshift as well
and
  we can start re-thinking the science of our expanding universe.
  But what can be done with so many calculations, dissertations, awards,
  (incl. Nobels), theories and tenures - all based (and successfully
 included)
  in all of these? Not to speak about the 2-3 generations of so
brainwashed
  scientists who imbibed all that with the nursing milk of their Alma
Mater.
 
  John Mikes
 
 snip





Physicists attack cosmological model

2004-02-06 Thread CMR
 --
 
 News
 
   Physicists attack cosmological model (Feb 6)
   http://physicsweb.org/article/news/8/2/4
Many astronomers believe that the universe is dominated by cold 'dark
matter' and 'dark energy' - a view that has been confirmed by recent
measurements on the cosmic background radiation. Now, however, a group
of astrophysicists in the UK has found that this radiation - the
microwave 'echo' of the big bang - may in fact have been modified or
`corrupted' as it passed through galaxy clusters on its way to Earth.
The result could undermine previous evidence for both dark matter and
energy (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 347 L67;
arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306180)